March 20, 2020
Updated Notice to Membership: Tech Valley Center of Gravity (TVCOG) on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regarding Use of TVCOG Facilities:
In spite of our best efforts to remain open to members, additional mandates from Governor Cuomo’s office to limit the spread of Coronavirus/COVID-19, require Tech Valley Center of Gravity to lock its doors as of 8pm on Sunday, March 22, 2020. No one will be able to enter the facility after this time. Staff will not be on-site.
If you need to retrieve personal items from the facility please do so by 8pm Sunday March 22, 2020.
Review the Governor's Executive Order mandating 100% Closure of Non-Essential Businesses Statewide.
Some items to consider:
If you are expecting mail at the COG, you may want to consider having your mail forwarded to you. We are not permitted to remain onsite to receive orders or mail deliveries. Delivery services will be holding mail until https://www.usps.com/manage/forward.htm
Pivot operations to produce an essential good or service. If you believe you currently have the manufacturing capabilities to produce high-demand items please reach out to the Center for Economic Growth BGS here. The Governor is also encouraging any company with the proper equipment or personnel to begin to manufacture PPE products if possible. The state is willing to provide funding to any company to obtain the proper equipment and personnel. Businesses interested in receiving state funding to manufacture PPE products should contact Eric Gertler at 212-803-3100 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening with COVID-19 around New York State:
Rensselaer County Department of Health
Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce
New York State Department of Health
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Stay tuned for updates from Tech Valley Center of Gravity. We are planning to offer online classes and virtual Tuesday social nights as soon as possible, along with other online activities and events for our members.
Tech Valley Center of Gravity will continue to do its absolute best to service and communicate to our membership throughout this pandemic national emergency. Our cancellations and additional rules for usage are based on compliance with state and national mandates, which are being updated regularly. We encourage members to maintain their memberships and innovation space payments; your support is always critical to our existence, but especially needed through this very difficult time.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best,
Cheryl
Cheryl L. Kennedy, Executive Director
Tech Valley Center of Gravity
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March 16, 2020
Updated Notice to Membership: Tech Valley Center of Gravity (TVCOG) on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regarding Use of TVCOG Facilities
As information and guidance is being distributed from Governor Cuomo’s office to help limit the spread of Coronavirus/COVID-19, Tech Valley Center of Gravity is implementing additional safety measures including cancellation of remaining events, classes, and trainings, as well as other social distancing strategies, indefinitely.
Notice of Cancellation of Events and Activities; Suspension of Volunteer Program:
1. All scheduled classes and zone training are cancelled and will be rescheduled. TVCOG will reach out to registrants to issue credit or refunds. TVCOG will reach out to instructors, at the appropriate time, to reschedule classes.
2. All volunteer shifts are cancelled. Please do not report to the facility for volunteer shifts.
3. Social Night is cancelled. Activities associated with group cooking and sharing of communal food are prohibited. Abiding CDC guidance for gatherings is part of being an “Excellent” COG member.
4. The THINQubator is closed until further notice.
For those who have the capability to work from home during this time, we encourage you to do so. Currently, the facility is open to members for work and projects, during the hours which coincide with their membership.
Additional Rules for TVCOG Members during COVID-19
At present and for the foreseeable future, for the safety of membership and staff during contingent operations, we require that members comply with the following rules when engaging at Tech Valley Center of Gravity:
1. Upon entering the facility, please immediately visit the kitchen or restrooms to wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Please abstain from bringing guests into the facility. Work-related meetings should be conducted by phone or videoconference.
3. We ask that members work at least 6 feet away from each other, using separate table and desk areas. We generally have more than enough space to observe this policy
4. The clean station located in the community kitchen has disinfectant spray, paper towels, and hand soap or antibacterial wipes available. Please wash down stations and desks before and after you use them, so that you can ensure the station’s cleanliness for your own use and that of other members. If a station is out of supplies, please alert staff in person or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
5. During this time, we ask that you not bring your children to the facility while you work. While we are a family-friendly facility, all NYS schools are currently closed to assist in slowing the spread of Coronavirus. In order to observe the intended impact of this closure, we ask that you not bring your children to the facility while you work.
If you are not feeling well, or have been in contact with a person with COVID-19 symptoms, or if you have been at a public event that is correlated with a known case of COVID-19, please stay home.
The TVCOG Board of Directors and Staff will continue to monitor the status of Coronavirus (COVID-19), updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will post public updates on our website at https://www.tvcog.net/about/whats-news.
Please help mitigate the spread of COVID-19: sanitize diligently, wash hands regularly (for at least 20 seconds), and stay home if you feel sick.
Tech Valley Center of Gravity will continue to do its absolute best to service and communicate to our membership throughout this pandemic national emergency. Our cancellations and additional rules for usage are based on compliance with state and national mandates, which are being updated regularly. We encourage members to maintain their memberships and innovation space payments; your support is always critical to our existence, but especially needed through this very difficult time.
Thank you for your continued support,
TVCOG Staff
March 12, 2020
Important Notice from Tech Valley Center of Gravity (TVCOG) on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regarding Public Use of TVCOG Facilities:
As an extra health precaution, we are limiting public use of TVCOG facilities, and will be temporarily closed to the public for tours and events, until further notice. First Lego Lego League’s final team meetings on 03/13 and their banquet on 03/20 are cancelled and will be rescheduled.
Signs will be posted at the entrance of the facility indicating the temporary public closure, and directing them to the website.
Only members (and their supervised guests) will be allowed in TVCOG (this includes Tech Valley Game Space members).
TO ALL MEMBERS:
If you are not feeling well, or have been in contact with a person with COVID-19 symptoms, or if you have been at a public event that is correlated with a known case of COVID-19, please stay home.
Members should be advised that older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart of lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. Please consult with your health care provider about additional steps you may be able to take to protect yourself. We are aware of several members who have compromised immune systems and ask that all members be mindful of their interactions within the facility.
Again, members are allowed to use the facility and in addition to our temporary public closure, TVCOG has provided a clean station area, in addition to standing bathroom and sink areas that are supplied with hand soap and paper towels. The clean station has disinfectant spray, paper towels, and hand soap or antibacterial wipes available. Please wash down zone tables before and after you use them, so that you can ensure the station’s cleanliness for your own use and that of other members.If the clean station is out of supplies, please alert staff in person or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please return cleaning supplies back to the clean station and please do not remove cleaning supplies from the facility.
Our currently scheduled classes at TVCOG are not cancelled. As our classes are very small, and generally composed of members, we believe that continuing them poses minimal risk to the community. However, we will be offering refunds for registrants who would prefer to reschedule.
We will continue to monitor the status of Coronavirus (COVID-19), updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will post public updates on our website.
Please help mitigate the spread of COVID-19: sanitize diligently, wash hands regularly (for at least 20 seconds), and stay home if you feel sick.
Thank you for your continued support,
TVCOG Staff